Machine for molding dough and like plastic material



April 20, 1926. 1,581,141

. G. ROYAN V MACHINE FOR MOLDING DOUGH AND LIKE, PLASTIC MATERIAL Filed Dec. 10 1923 Patented Apr. 29, 1926.

un'rsn srares GEORGE ROYAN, OLE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGN TO AMER'L'CAN OVEN 8t MACHINE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A. GOREOBATION.

MACHINE FOR MOLDING DOUGH AND LIKE ELASTIC MATERIAL.

Application filed December 10, 1923. Serial No. 679,540.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Grocer Koran, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lvilachines for Molding Dough and like Plastic Material, of which I do declare the following to be full, clear,

and exact description, reference being bad to 1 the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view partly in front elevation and partly in vertical section of the machine embodying my invention. Figure 2 is a view in vertical sec tion on line 22 of Fig. 1, parts being broken away. i

The present invention relates more particularly to the improvement of dough-molding machines of the type commonly called dough-ballers, that are designed to shape lumps or masses of dough into spherical loaves or balls, and in so doing to form over the loaves a smooth and skin-like protective membrane, the advantages of which are well recognized.

The invention consists in the features of novelty hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanyaing drawing and particularly pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

The main frame of the machine is shown as consisting of side portions 3 and 4t mounted upon or formed integral with a base portion 5. Adjacent the top and side portions 3 and l of the main frame are formed openings to receive the ends of a stationary cross shaft 6 that is preferably encircled by a pair of bearing sleeves 7 and 8 revolubly mounted upon the shaft. Upon the and 8 and keyed thereto In the preferred embodiment of my invention, the revoluble balling members A and B are driven in the same direction but at different rates of speed and this is preferably accomplished by suitable gearing, such as will now be described:

Keyedto' the bearing sleeve 7 is a gear wheel 15 that meshes with a gear wheel 16 keyed to a cross shaft 17, the ends of'this shaft being revolubly mounted in suitable bearings in the side portions of the main frame of the machine. Similarly, upon the bearing sleeve 8 is keyed a gear wheel 19 that meshes with a gear wheel 20 that is keyed to the cross shaft 17. It will be noticed that the gear wheel 15' is materially larger than the gear wheel'19 and that the gear wheel 16 is smaller than the gear wheel 20; hence, while the gears and shaft 17 will impart movement in the same direction to the revoluble members A and B, the speed of revolution of these members will be different. Upon the cross shaft 17 is keyed a driving gear 25 that meshes with a pinion 26 upon the drive shaft of an electric motor'27. It is obvious that the details of the gearing above described may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention, and that the gears and shaft 17 may be driven if desired by any other suitable motive power.

Between the flanges 12 of the revoluble members A. and B isarranged a plate sup porting member C that is adapted to receive the lumps ofdough and guide the same' during the balling operati0n, wl'1ile at the same time cooperating with the revoluble memhere A andB in giving the desired spherical shape to the loaves. The plateor support C is preferably n'iounted upon. a rod 30 that extends between the side supports 3 and 4 of the main frame, a bracket" 31 that is attached to the plate or support being pivoted'upon the rod 30. The upper or re ceiving end. of the plate or support C is preferably curved, as at 0, to receive the lumps of dough to be shaped as they are delivered tothe machine by a suitable conveyor' belt 1). The discharge end of the plate or support C is similarly curved as at 0' and. adjacentthe discharge end of the plate C there is fixed a bracket 32 to the nineteenth of which is pivotall-y. con nected, an. adjusting screw tld'that passes through a threaded sleeve 35 reyo lubly mounted upon a cross bar 36 extending between the side portions 3 and L of the main frame. The upper end of the sleeve 35 is provided with a beveled pinion 37 that meshes with a similar pinion 38 keyed to the end of a shaft 39 that is revolubly mounted in a cross bar 40 extending between the side portions 3 and a of the main frame, this shaft 39 carrying at its outer end an adjusting hand wheel 11. By turning the hand wheel 41, the plate or support 0 can be raised or lowered, the adjustmentof this plate being made in accordance with the size of the balls of dough to be formed.

From the foregoing description, the operation of my improved machine will be readunderstood. hen lumps of dough ar delivered by the conveyor D, or other suitable means, to the upper end 0 of the plate or support C and between this plate C and the peripheral portions 11 and 12 of the revoluble balling members A and B, they will be gradually carriedaround on the surface of the plate or support C until they are discharged in the shape of balls from the ends 0 of the plate C. The members A and B revolve in the direction of the arrow Fig. 2 but at different rates of speed, and the length of time required for the passage of the masses of dough through the machine will, of'course, depend upon the speed of revolution of the members A and B. The moving of the lumps of dough along the inner surface of the plate or support G has a tendency to revolve the lumps upon their horizontal axes, but inasmuch as the members A and B are revolving at difierent speeds and preferably in the same direction, there will be a tendency to impart to the lumps of dough revolution upon axes radial to the members A and B. The resultant action upon the masses of dough of the differentially revolving members A and B and of the stationary plate or support C is to cause each mass of dough to assume a spherical shape before it is discharged from the machine and their outer surfaces are stretched so as to give the desired smooth and skin-like covering thereto;

It is obvious that modifications of the invention may be made and features of the invention maybe employed without its adoption as an entirety. Thus, while I have shown and prefer to use a construction of gearing that serves to impart revolution in the same direction, but at different rates of speed, to the balling members A and B, these members A and B might, by suitable gearing, be revolved in opposite directions at different speeds, in which case the length of time required for the travel of the masses of dough through the machine would depend upon the difference in speeds of revolution of the members A and B, as the efiect of the more rapidly moving member would be to carry the masses of dough along the inner face of the plate or support C.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desir to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A machine of the character described comprising a pair of revoluble members havin opposite angular portions, the inner portions diverging outwardly and their peripheral portions spaced apart to receive masses of material to be shaped and spaced portions inwardly thereof in contact to provide bearing surfaces against one another, and means for imparting revolution to said members at different speeds.

2. A machine of the character described comprising a pair of concentrically mounted revoluble members having portions spaced apart to receive masses of material to be shaped and spaced concentric opposed plane portions in bearing engagement, and means for imparting revolution to said members at different speeds.

3. A machine of the character described comprising a pair of revoluble wheels or disks contacting at their inner faces wit-h branching portions and having parallel peripheral portions spaced apart to receive masses of material to be shaped, and means for imparting revolution to said disks or wheels at different speeds.

4-. A machine of the character described comprising a pair of revoluble members having peripheral portions spaced apart to receive masses of material to be shaped and wide annular portions immediately inwardly thereof in bearing contact normal to the axis thereof, a curved support for said masses of material arranged between the peripheral portions of said revoluble members, said curved support being pivoted at one end and being provided with means whereby the support may be adjusted, and means for imparting revolution to said members.

5. A machine of the character described comprising a pair of revoluble members having their peripheral portions spaced apart to receive masses of material to be shaped and annular portions immediately inwardly thereof and near their inner edges in bearing contact normal to the axis thereof, a curved support arranged between the opposed faces of the peripheral portions of said members, a screw for adjusting said curved support, and a hand wheel and gearing for operating said screw.

6. A machine for molding dough and like plastic material comprising a pair of revoluble members having opposite. angular portions, the inner portions thereof being straight and diverging outwardly, and the outer portions being spaced apart and bentat obtuse angles relative thereto in parallel relation for receiving masses o'f'material to be shaped, and means for in'iparting revolution in the same direction to said members at different speeds.

7. A machine for molding dough and like plastic material comprising a pair of revoluble members having fiat inner portions and opposite angular outer portions disposed outwardly at obtuse angles in diverging relation and then in a reversed direction at obtuse angles in substantially parallel relation to each other at the peripheral portions of the members and spaced apart to receive masses of material to be shaped, and means for rotating said members.

8. A machine of the character described, comprising a pair of revoluble members having their peripheral portions spaced apart and bent in angular relation to receive masses of material to be shaped, a curved support arranged between the peripheral portions of said members at the bottom, and micrometer means for adjusting and positively holding said curved support in adj usted position. v

9. A machine of the character described, comprising a pair of revoluble members having peripheral portions spaced apart to receive masses of material to be shaped and annular portions inwardly thereof and near their inner edges in bearing contact normal to the axis thereof, a curved support for said masses of material arranged between the spaced portions of said members, means for adjusting said support toward and away from the members and positively holding it in adjusted position, and means for im parting revolution to said members.

GEORGE RO'YAN. 

